Wednesday, 4 August 2010

The Gallery - Playtime

I published a post yesterday with some (not particularly fantastic) pictures I love of S and A playing together, co-operating and sharing as I hope they will throughout their lives.

And then I thought "Oh, it's the Gallery tomorrow. I wonder what it is? I'd better get my post ready."

And of course it's Playtime. So I could just head back to that post, or tweak it and republish it, or something, but that feels like a cop-out (although do go and have a look, the pictures are lovely - or I think so, but then I'm their mother) so I'm not going to do that.

Or I'm sort of not. Here's another one of the pictures anyway, just for the fun of it:

Isn't that amazing? They're 19 months old, and they're sharing, co-operating, playing together. I think that's a twin thing, because I'm pretty certain that L wouldn't have played with another child like that at that age. But, twins or no, that is what I want for all three of them, as they grow up as sisters: to have someone to play with, to share childhood- and, in due course, grown up-experiences with. And when they fight, as they increasingly are doing (there's another post in there I suspect), I just have to sit back and remind myself that they can be like this too...

So anyway, given that that isn't my Gallery entry for this week, here's one of L too because otherwise she doesn't feature at all, and she does, after all, do her fair share of the playing in this house:

She doesn't look like she's playing, but she is and I love that. It forces me to remember that even when they are lolling on our tummies on a Northumberland beach, squishing sand between their fingers, they are still playing, and that although I beat myself up about not playing with them enough; about not cutting up enough bits of sticky back plastic, or making up enough stories, or using enough jumpers for enough goalposts, sitting with my children and watching the sand form little piles between their toes is playing too, and, in its own way, just as valuable.

Lovely playtime photos :-)I know what you mean about letting them get on and play by themselves - I think it's just getting the balance right and to join in some times and hold back (which I find hard as I like joining in,such a big kid!) watching them play gives as much joy anyway doesn't it?Great post

Lovely pictures. I completely agree that daydreaming on a beach IS playing. We don't need to give kids activities 24/7. Thank you so much for linking up with the Play Academy too - see you next week? :)

You have such a good point at the end there. My mother once got really angry with my son and his cousin because they "weren't playing WITH something" - they were just running after each other and having the best time. I got a little narked at her.

My boys always seem to play nicely together for a little while and then inevitably it spills over into fighting! I think every mum worries they don't 'play' enough with their children but actually you're right - 'free play' is just as important as structured play. Lovely photos!

Mad Mummy - Oh! Me too! We really should have that playdate you know...

Nickie - thank you!

JunipersJungle - hello and welcome! Oh, and thank you too!

Michelle - thank you!

Christine - thank you!

Mummy Mishaps - I think mine are still a bit wee - because to be honest sometimes I find joining in a bit dull... but lovely to know that in a short while I'll be the one clamouring to be allowed to play too!

Alethea - thank you! I suspect we could all learn a lot from our children... but then all the mundanities of life somehow seem to get in the way don't they?

Maggy - sadly it was more the claggy than the runny type of sand, but still lots of fun!

Kelloggsville - thank you!

Cathy - thank you! Looking forward to it!

Tiddlyompompom - I love the imagination too. L's is really developing at the moment and it feels such a privilege to be part of it.

Kateab - I think so! Thank you!

Nova - thank you!

Sandy Calico - thank you! I take much the same attitude, and tend not to get involved with the fighting a lot of the time too... Glad to know I'm not alone!

Mwa - thank you! I suspect it might have been more about me trying to justify myself but still I think it's also true...

Blissful Mum - Oh! Been there - you think it's all fine and quite and then suddenly... SCREAMS!

Mummy Walker - Hope so too! It's so wonderful when it happens (although we seem to be having more bickering than co-operation between L and the little ones at the moment - hey ho!)

Bubbleboo - most of the time! We've been having some "issues" recently, but it is so lovely when they are like this

I know. I'm sorry. I hate these word recognition, are you a robot, guff things too, but having just got rid of a large number of ungrammatical and poorly spelt adverts for all sorts of things I don't want, and especially don't want on my blog, I'm hoping that this will mean that only lovely people, of the actually a person variety, will comment.